Angelina Jolie's Bosnia Shoot Cut Short; Rape Victims Angered
NEW YORK (CBS/AP) Protests by women's groups has forced actress Angelina Jolie to cut short production of her directorial debut n Bosnia and move shooting of the romance to a new location in Hungary.
According to her producer, the change in plans happened after reports that the film portrayed a relationship between a rapist and his victim sparked protests from women who were assaulted during the Bosnian War.
Jolie had originally planned to shoot scenes for her movie for about 10 days in Bosnia, but now her crew will film the scenes in just three or four days, said Edin Sarkic, Jolie's Bosnian producer. Jolie herself will only briefly visit the set, he said.
An association of women raped during the war in Bosnia was angered by the rumors about the film and pressured city officials in October to withdraw Jolie's filming permit.. While the rumors proved to be untrue, it still cast a shadow on the project.
Jolie's permit was reissued three days later, but Sarkic said she had already decided to film some of the scenes in Hungary instead.
In an effort to clear up the rumors, Jolie exchanged letters with the women's association. She said she plans to meet with them when she arrives in Bosnia for her short visit.
The actress also adds that she has great respect for the work of the women's association and would "like the opportunity to speak with them to personally clear up any misunderstandings about this project."
So what is this movie really about?
Jolie's films portrays a Serb man and Bosnian Muslim woman who fall in love and get separated during the war.
Mass rape was a taboo topic in the immediate aftermath of the country's 1992-95 war between Serb and Bosnian Muslims, but since then, victims have formed a group to campaign for their rights. It has become one of the country's most powerful lobbies.